The Reason You Feel Like a Crappy Mom Is Because of the Internet

If you're a parent, I'm going to assume that you've questioned yourself before. Are you doing things right? Have you scarred your kids for life? Does your 16-year-old "hate" you because of something you said? The answer is yes. Not yes, it's something you said. Yes, you're doing something right. In fact, if you're a loving parent, you're probably doing pretty much everything right. You just don't know it. Because the Internet won't let you.

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Never before in history has there been a time when every single aspect of everything -- especially parenting -- is documented. And with documentation of course comes, well, fibbing. PhotoShopping; "highlights-reeling"; and blog and Facebook posts that, in a roundabout way, tell the world how they're parenting "wrong", and the poster is parenting "right". And then there's article after article, offering commentary on how people parent -- and how scientists and hipsters both say they're doing it wrong.

It wasn't always like this. And it's incredibly annoying. And if you're online often enough, it just might get under your skin.

Parenting is hard. It's always been hard, but now in particular, it's really hard. Thanks to the Internet, we're all under constant scrutiny and we're all always comparing ourselves to others. (Same goes for lots of things -- I mean, I can't imagine being in high school when Facebook was around. No thanks.)

Here's the thing, though: You're doing a good job. Really, you are. Hell, if you get anxious perusing "Kids' Crafts" onPinterest because you haven't done any of the creative things you're seeing with your kids, that's a good thing. It shows that you care, and that you want the absolute best for your child. And if you don't get every single moment of your child's life on camera -- and then airbrush said photos -- that's okay! You were there to see it for yourself, and isn't that what's most important?

So, when you feel yourself starting to feel inadequate while perusing through beautiful Mom blogs and your Facebook newsfeed, stop. It's hard to do, I know, but just try. And if it helps you, think of it this way: While you were with your kids, they were probably online. So there's that.

Do you ever feel inadequate after being online -- whether you're a parent or not?